Electrically wired baseboard

ABSTRACT

A BASEBOARD HAVING BUILT-IN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS RUNNING THE LENGTH THEREOF TO ENABLE A TAP-OFF TO BE MADE AT ANY POINT THEREALONG FOR USE OF LAMPS, APPLIANCES AND THE LIKE, THE CONDUCTORS IN THE FORM OF SPACED, PARALLEL, INSULATED METAL CHANNELS CONTAINING A BRAIDED MASS OF FINE WIRES WITH A COVERING OF RESILIENT INSULATING MATE-   RIAL FLUSH WITH THE BASEBOARD AND A TAP-OFF DEVICE HAVING POINTED SPIKES CAPABLE OF READILY PENETRATING THE INSULATING COVERING AND ENTERING AND MAKING ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE FINE WIRES IN THE CHANNELS.

Jan. 26, 1971 I J. 1.. SHAGENA, JR 3,559,149

ELECTRICALLY WIRED BASEBOARD Filed Oct. 29. 1968 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 'FIG.I

Jan. 26, 1971 J, L. SHAGENA, JR 3,559,149

.ELECTRICALLY WIRED BASEBOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29. 1968 INVEIJT( )R JACK L. JHAGE A, J/i.

United States Patent Gflice" 3,559,149 ELECTRICALLY WIRED BASEBOARD JackL. Shagena, Jr., 1406 Saratoga Drive,

. Bel Air, Md. 21014 Filed Oct. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 771,485 Int. Cl. H01113/38 US. Cl. 339-23 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A baseboardhaving built-in electrical conductors running the length thereof toenable a tap-off to be made at any point therealong for use of lamps,appliances and the like, the conductors in the form of spaced, parallel,insulated metal channels containing a braided mass of fine wires with acovering of resilient insulating material fiush with the baseboard and atap-off device having pointed spikes capable of readily penetrating theinsulating covering and entering and making electrical contact with thefine wires in the channels.

This invention relates to electrical outlet devices and morespecifically to such devices of the continuous type which run the lengthof the baseboard in a room so that a tap-oil may be made at any pointtherealong wherever needed.

Determining the number of electrical outlets in a building or home andthe placement thereof to afford the utmost convenience has presentedproblems in the past, as it is almost impossible, when a building is inthe planning stage, to anticipate what use the various areas or roomsare to be put, and in what locations the various devices requiringelectrical power are to be placed. The result is, that all toofrequently it is found, after a room or area is furnished the electricaloutlets are just not in the proper places and resort to make-shifts suchas long appliance cords, multiple outlet plugs, etc. must be had.

The use of continuous outlets, ie those which may be plugged intoanywhere along their length, have been used and-they solve the problemto a certain extent. Most of these devices however are unsightly anddifficult to install.

The above objections have to a great extent been overcome by the use ofthe present invention, as it is built at the factory as a. finishedbaseboard ready to install and contains the electrical conductorstherein and only requires installation as in the case of any baseboardand the simple connection of the conductors therein to the source ofelectrical supply. As the outer insulating cover is made flush with theouter surface of the baseboard the whole device is neat in appearanceand may be painted or decorated to completely hide the insulating coversand yet may be tapped into at any point therealong with the specialspiked plug provided therefor which may be easily pressed through theinsulating covers and into electrical contact with the conductorstherein.

It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a continuousoutlet which is pre-assembled into a finished baseboard which may beinstalled with a minimum of labor.

It is another object to provide such an electrical outlet which is neatin appearance and can, ifdesired, be decorated to be substantiallycompletely hidden.

It is still another object to provide a continuous outlet which has alarge current carrying capacity due to its large conductors.

The above and other objects and advantages will be come more apparent asthis description proceeds and reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification and in which likecharacters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

Patented Jan. 26, 1971 FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of myinvention as it would appear installed in a corner of a room;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view thereof partly in section,showing the interior construction thereof and a tap-off plug insertedtherein; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the details of one ofthe conductors and associated parts thereof; and f FIG. 4 is aperspective view of a slightly modified orm.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, 10 indicates a baseboardof conventional shape and proportions and of any of the conventionalmaterials, provided with a pair of spaced grooves 11 into each of whicha conductor for electricity generally indicated at 12 is fitted.

The conductor 12 consists of a channel 13 of any electrical conductivematerial, for example, aluminum, copper or the like, with its interiorspace filled with a mass of fine resilient metallic wires 14 preferablytwisted, woven or braided to form a mass into which a connector prongmay be'inserted to connect the same electrically with the channel 13.

The outer surface of the channel 13 is insulated from the baseboard at15 by any of the wellknown means, for example, surface coating such asanodizing or by means of fish paper or plastic film.

As may be seen in the drawing the conductor channel is set in from theouter surface of the baseboard and this space is filled by a resilientcover or facing strip of insulating material 16 of cork, rubber, plasticor the like. The outer surface of this strip is preferably made flushwith the outer surface of the baseboard for neatness of appearance andis held in place by a resilient adhesive 17.

In order to make contact with the imbedded conductors 12 an adapter plug18 is provided. This adapter is fitted on one side with a pair ofpointed prongs 19 and on the other side with slots 20, the latteradapted to receive the prongs of a conventional appliance plug whichmternally of the adapter 18 will make electrical contact with thepointed prongs 19.

The prongs 19 may be pressed against and readily made to penetrate theouter cover strip 16 and enter the mass of fine wires 14 and therebymake electrical contact therewith and with the main conductor channels13 anywhere along the length of the baseboard.

In the modification of FIG. 4 the baseboard section 10' is of definitepre-determined length and contains conductors 12 like those in theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. At the ends of the conductors,however, terminal members 21 are provided and these terminal memberscontain screws 22 to which jumper wires 23 may be attached forelectrically connecting the conductors of an baseboard section abuttedagainst the end of the first section.

A cover element 24 may be employed to hide the joint between twosections of baseboard and cover the ter- "minals and jumper wires.

FIG. 4 also shows one means for supplying current to the baseboard. Aplug 25 with spiked prongs 26 for penetrating the insulating strip 16and embedding themselves into the mass of wires 14 and making electricalcontact therewith is provided. The plug may then be fed through aconventional flexible cord 27 and plug 28 from a conventional walloutlet 29. The plug 25 may be more or less permanently fastened in placeby screws 30 if desired.

The electrical outlet described is for the usual two wire circuit.Obviously it may be adapted to a three wire circuit by providing a thirdconductor device like those specifically described.

Having described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An electric wired baseboard comprising (a) a baseboard having atleast one groove in its outer face extending the length thereof,

(b) an electric conductor of channel shape located at the bottom portionof the groove, the open side of the channel facing the outer face of thebaseboard,

(c) a mass of electrically conductive fine wires in the channelconductor and in electrical contact therewith,

(d) a cover strip of resilient insulating material in the outer portionof said groove and covering the open side of the channel conductor andits contained Wires, said cover strip capable of being penetrated by asharp prong anywhere along its length to afford electrical connection ofthe prong with the wires and channel conductor in said groove.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein an electrical connection isprovided at least at one end of the electric conductor within thebaseboard to afford connection to another length of similar electricconductor in an adjacent baseboard.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the channel conductor isprovided with an insulating covering on its outer surfaces toelectrically insulate the channel from the walls of the groove in thebaseboard.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 663,750 12/1900 Greil et al 33996671,338 4/1901 Halford 33921 1,938,372 12/1933 Brudie 33923 1,965,1787/1934 Franklin et al 33921 2,218,545 10/1940 Morten 33921 2,256,4899/1941 Nazett et a1. 33923 2,264,075 11/1941 Frank 33922(B) 2,348,6655/1944 Von Gehr 33921 (S) 3,158,420 11/1964 Olson et al. 33996 MARVIN A.CHAMPION, Primary Examiner P. A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl.X.R. 33996, 154

